When making a major decision, such as where to buy a new home, it’s important to be well-informed.

Colleen McCarry — entering a new stage in life, and in the market for an apartment-style condo — made sure she was exactly that.

“I did quite a bit of research online,” she says, adding she did her digging on a number of builders, and areas with the qualities she was looking for. “I did my homework.”

This brought her to Walden Place by Cardel Lifestyles in the southeast Calgary community of Walden.

McCarry’s due diligence continued when she had the chance to chat with a few of the condo owners in the development’s existing building.

“What better way to find out?” she says. “Everybody just reinforced what I felt — and had a really good experience.”

McCarry has lived in a single-family home in northeast Calgary for the past 18 years. But with her daughter renting a place in southwest Calgary, a move south made sense for her, too.

They share ownership of a dog. The nine-year-old Chiweenie (Chihuahua and dachshund mix) named Cakes will be making the move with McCarry.

“It’s more convenient to be closer to (my daughter) so she can help me (with the dog), but I also wanted something different altogether — a fresh start,” says McCarry.

That fresh start was one of the reasons she liked the idea of moving to a new community. The location, pathways, green spaces and convenience of an established commercial development were all factors she liked about Walden by Genstar Development Co.

“I knew that this was going to be my home when I got there,” says McCarry of her first visit to the community last summer.

“I just immediately liked the location,” she adds. “Where it is just off Stoney Trail and off of Macleod. I work in the Beltline area, so the distance was the same as what I’m doing right now. The location worked out.”

Walden is a 166-hectare community that has 49 hectares in green space and nearly eight kilometres of pathways.

In fact, the community links to a regional pathways system that eventually connects to Fish Creek Provincial Park.

“I am going to like that area, absolutely,” says McCarry. “I love walking. That was another big one … all the green space that’s going in there, that’s fabulous.”

Walden has an existing commercial complex dubbed the Gates of Walden. This includes — among an assortment of services, places to dine, grab a coffee, bank, and fill up the gas tank — a Save-on-Foods grocery store.

“It’s right there, which is awesome,” says McCarry. “I like that it’s right close by. If I wanted to walk over to one of the restaurants, I could do that.”

Even closer for Walden Place residents will be a future commercial development slated for land in the neighbouring community of Legacy. It’s right across the street.

Considered a regional commercial site, it will measure 800,000 square feet — about two-thirds the size of the expansive Shawnessy Towne Centre.

When it came to the condo, McCarry set her sights on a two-bedroom plan. This would allow the option to have family or a friend stay over when they visit.

She chose the Willow Park, an 845-square-foot floor plan with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There’s also a 78-square-foot patio.

The two bedrooms are on opposite ends of a central great room, and its spacious L-shaped kitchen opens to an adjacent dining area.

The Willow Park is similar to the Palliser floor plan, which is presented as one of seven show suites at Walden Place.

Among its features, McCarry singles out liking the walk-in closet and ensuite.

“The ensuite was really important to me, because that’s going to be my own space,” she says. “It’s a really nice one.

“The tile flooring they have and the options that they have for that, and the tile going all the way up the wall inside the shower. That right away, made me say, ‘That’s what I want.’ ”

Cardel Lifestyles will launch pre-construction sales on its third of six buildings at Walden Place today.

It will contain 83 condos and provides potential buyers with 11 floor plans to pick from.

They start from $139,900, which is for a one-bedroom condo. Then there are floor plans with two bedrooms and one bathroom from $169,900 and two bedrooms and two bathrooms from $199,900. In all cases, the price is before GST.

The first building at Walden Place is sold out and the second is 75 per cent sold, with a “good selection” available for possession this summer, says area sales manager Brad Logel.

The exterior of Walden Place by Cardel Lifestyles in Walden.

The kitchen in the Legacy 2 condo at Walden Place by Cardel Lifestyles.

The feature wall in a chevron pattern in the Legacy show suite at Walden Place.

The ensuite off the master bedroom in the Legacy 2 condo at Walden Place.

Walden Place has been a strong seller for the company that won multi-family builder of the year at the 2017 Canadian Home Builders’ Association-Alberta Awards of Excellence in Housing.

“The reason for success is due to having a great selection of Calgary’s best condo plans,” says Logel.

“We have the highest standard specifications and provide the best quality and customer experience.

“Add to that, a fantastic location with unbelievable prices and you can’t go wrong.”

Buyers at Walden Place can pick from one of four professionally designed interior colour packages.

“When I compared it to what some of the other builders had, their standard features were fantastic,” says McCarry.

“I upgraded a few things but I kept a lot of the standards. From my research, they were what would probably be considered upgrades at other (developments).”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

WHAT: Walden Place is a development comprised of apartment-style condos and townhomes.DEVELOPER: Cardel Lifestyles.AREA: Walden is a community in southeast Calgary.COMMUNITY DEVELOPER: Genstar Development Co.PRICES: Condos start from $139,900, before GST.HOURS: The sales centre is open from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.INFORMATION:cardellifestyles.com

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.